Supercharger



SUPERCHARGER Filed Jan. 11, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR Floyd P1125511).

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 9, 19 37. F. F. KISHLI'NE 2,098,499

7 SUPERCHARGER Filed Jan. 11, 1936 1 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Ha ar/1251mm A TTORNEYS.

I ticularly adaptable for commercial use with -'Patented Nov. 9, 1937 Graham-Paige Motors Corporation,

Mich., a corporation Detroit, of Michigan Original application August I, 1985, Serial No.

35,022. Divided and this application January 11, 1938, Serial No. 58,628

4 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion motors and particularly to 'fuel induction systems therefor. More particularly it relates to a specific form of supercharger construction parinternal combustion motors.

This application is a division of applicant's prior co-pending application, Serial No. 35,022, filed August 7, 1935, in which the structure shown hereinv is shown and described and further'the specific manner in which the supercharger structure is mounted upon an internal combustion engine is claimed. While applicant's prior co-pending application referred to above is primarily directed to a novel mounting of a supercharger on plication has for a general object the'provision of a novel gear drive for supercharger structure and novel meansfor mounting the gearing in airial force imparted to the worm because of its driving relation with respect to the wheel is offset in part or in whole by the pneumaticforces acting'on the impeller, thereby relieving the bearings for the impeller drive shaft from the load they might otherwise be subjected to.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a novel supercharger construction having novel means for maintaining the proper driving relation between the driving worm and the wheel thereof; the provision of a supercharger including a worm and wheel and in which 40 cover element provided with a bearing assembly for the worm wheel shaft and so cooperating therewith as to limit the axial .position thereof and which is applicable to and removable from a the supercharger as a unit; and the provision of a supercharger construction including a worm and wheel assembly of the area contact type, together with a bearingarrangement therefor permitting ready assembly and disassembly of the worm 50 wheel with respect to the worm. Still further the present invention contemplates the provision of a drive mechanism for supercharger construction, in which novel means are provided for interconnecting the gear drive 55, shait of the supercharger proper with the acan internal combustion engine; the present apthe housing of the supercharger and with re a sub-assembly is provided including a removal cessory shaft of the internal combustion engine with which the supercharger is associated. The above being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings. and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a conventional in-line type of internal combustion motor equipped with my improved supercharger, the lower portion of the. motor being broken away. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view in front elevation of the same illustrating the manner in which the accessory shaft is driven in coniunctionwith the cam shaft from the crank shait oi the motor.

Fig. 3 is an] enlarged fragmentary top .plan view of the supercharger mounted on the motor but with the carburetor removed from the top of the supercharger.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the motor, intake manifold, and supercharger.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the supercharger taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, and with a portion 0! the gear case housing broken away to show the interior thereof.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-4 of Fig. 5, showing in detail the manner in which the lower end of the impeller shalt is mounted in the supercharger housine'.

Fla. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 4, showing in detail the mounting of the worm wheel and its connectionto the accessory shaft.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 0-8 of Fig. '7, illustrating in further detail the mounting of the worm wheel on its shaft within the supercharger housing.

Fig; 9 is a sectional view taken substantially von the line l-l oi Fig. 5, showing the manner in-which the worm wheel and its shaft is assembled with respect to the worm which it serves to drive and the manner or mounting this worm wheel within. the supercharger housing.

In the construction shown in the drawings, a conventional type of cylinder in-line internal combustion motor II is shown provided with the improved supercharger generally designated at -2| mounted on the crank case thereof and driven by an accessory-shalt 23 which also drives water pump 22 and generator 24. The generator 24 is attached to that side of the supercharger driving gear housing opposite to the superchargers attachment to the accessory shaft 22 so that the generator is in reality driven by the drive shaft of the supercharger which in turn is actuated by the accessory shaft as shown more clearly in Fig. 7.

The supercharger, per se, comprises agenerally vertically disposed, housing, ,the middle portlon 25 of which will be hereafter designatedas the impeller shaft housing; the lower portion 2'. which will be hereafter referred to as the driving gear housing, and the upper part 21, which will be hereafter referred to as the lower half of the impeller housing. A complementary cover plate or housing 28 is secured to the housing 21 by bolts and cap screws 29 so as to form a suitable enclosure for the impeller of the supercharger.

Means are provided for driving the supercharger and comprise a flexible coupling 4|, one end of which is attached to the accessory shaft 22, and the other end of which is provided with an interiorly spllned hub 42 which telescopes on the complementary splined end 4I'of a driving gear shaft 44. A nut 45 is threaded on thereduced threaded end of the shaft and bears against a washer 46 and which in turn abuts against the splined hub 42. The driving gear shaft 44 is provided with an integrally formed radially extending hub 4'| medially of its ends to which is secured a drive gear 4! of the cone-type ,by means of a series of cap screws 49.

The end of the shaft 44 opposite to that connected to the-accessory shaft is iournaled in a removable bushing 50 whlehis mounted in the depressed end wall I of the driving gear housing 28, and the other end oi the shaft at the opposite side of the hub 41 is Journaled in a hearing 52 mounted in the cover plate II. A thrust 7 bearing 53 is provided between the inner radially flanged end of -the bearing 52 and the hub 41, its location on the shaftbelng accurately positioned by a series of shims 54, the shims being supplied in variable thicknesses. Pins II are fixed in the thrust bearing 53 and extend axially of the I shaft with their ends fitting in apertures provided in the hub 41 so'that the thrust bearing is constrained to rotate with the hub. A bearing washer 56' is secured by pins 5! to the outside of the cover plate 30 and forms one-half of a second thrust bearing, the other half of which comprises a ring or washer II which is clamped of the driving gear shaft 44 in its cover plate bearing. v 'Ihe bearing lcuredin adjusted position in the cover 'plate hearing so that the driving gear 4! may be assembled radially with respect to its driven worm l4 inasmuch salt is impossible to mesh and unmesh gears of the cone surface contact type by sidewise movement, as viewed in this figure.

hich is held in position by screws it, when removed as shown in Fig. 9, per- 'mlts a tilting or tipping of the driving gear shaft 44 with its gear '4! assembled thereon and se- The worm 64 is splined on the lower end of a vertically disposed impeller shaft 55 which is Journaled immediately above and below the worm in the bearings 66 and 61 respectively, and

closely adjacent its upper end in a bearing 88.

is rotated with the shaft and is held thereon by a castellated nut 14 secured by a cotter key 15. The upper surface of the washer I2 bears againsta floating washer 16' which is slightly tapered in cross section toward the middle thereof, as shown clearly in Fig. 10, this construction aiding in the lubrication of the bearing by permitting lubricant to be fed outwardly by centrifugal force. The floating washer 16 in turn bears on its upper side against a washer or apertured disc 11 which is secured to the housing by pins 18 so as to be constrained against rotation.

A cup shaped cover-l8 is secured to the housing by cap screws 80 so as to provide a well or. reservoir for lubricant in such manner that the shaft thrust bearing is substantially submerged in lubricant at all times. An overflow opening 8| is provided so that lubricant may circulate through the bearing and overflow into the driving gear housing;

Lubricant issupplied to the drive gear shaft and impeller shaft by an oil supply pipe 82, shown in Fig. 1, which conducts lubricant to the fitting 83, shown in Figs. 1 and 5 from which point it passes inwardly through a radially disposed opening 84 to an axially disposed bore 85 of attaching bolt 88, the inner end of which is threaded into the housing. Lubricant passes inwardly from the 'passage ll, through a bore 81 in the housing to the lower bearing 61.

Axially extending grooves 88 are provided in the lower half of this bearing for conducting lubricant downwardly to the thrust bearing at the lower end of the impeller shaft 65 and which comprises the discs 12, .18 and TI. The lower end of the impeller shaft 6! is provided with an axial bore It, the lower end of which is closed by a plug 90. Radia'llfextending bores 9i are provided at a point medially of the bearing 61 so that lubricant may pass from this bearing inwardly to the axial bore ll, thence upwardly to radial bores 82 which are. provided between the lower teeth of the worm and outwardly through radial bores 93 which are provided at the medial part of the bearing 80. The lower bearing 01 is also provided with a pipe or nozzle '4 directly into the teeth-of the drive gear 48 as its teeth go into mesh with the worm 84.

The attaching bolt 88 is also provided with radially disposed bores as which permit lubricant to pass into a bore it formed in a cover plate 66 housing and which leads to the bearing 52, which bearing is peripherally grooved so that the lubricant passes completely around it. The shaft 44, at apoint in regstry with the peripheral groove in the bearing I2. is provided with a radially ex- 76 tending bore .1, the inner end of'which communicates with an axially extending bore 08 which is drilled eccentrically in the shaft 44 and the outer end of which is closed by plug 9l.- At-a point adjacent the Plus ll another radially extending 7s The lower end of the shaft 10 which directs a stream of lubricant bore H! is provided: which permits the lubricant The upper bearing 68 at its lower end is pro-.

vided with a cylindrical skirt 503 which is in spaced relation to the impeller shaft 85 so that lubricant draining out of the bearing 68 and being thrown ofi of the shaft at its shoulder tilt is collected on the inner side of the skirt its and drains therefrom in relatively large drops.

It. has been found in practice that due to the extremely high speed of rotationof the impeller shaft, lubricant draining out of the upper bearing is thrown oil of the shoulder EM in the form of a very fine mist having the appearance of blue smoke, which mist is readily drawn upwardly through the breather space provided around the,

shaft andopening in the top of the housing and is fed with the fuel into the motor. Lubricant draining from the skirt I63 drops downwardly in the space Edd which is provided in the housing 25 around the shaft 65 and passes through a drain hole 508 into the driving gear housing. All lubricant from the journaled parts thus drains into the driving gear housing 25 which serves as a reservoir for the lubricant and maintains alubrlcant level therein which partially submerges the gear teeth on the lower part of the driving gear.

48 so that these teeth are at all times lubricated when the motor is first started. After normal operation, lubricant is maintained in the housing 26 at the proper desired level by reason of the overflow openings it? which are provided in registry with each other in the motor crankcase housing and supercharger driving gear housing, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

In practice, it has been foundimpossible and impracticable to efiect a seal around the impeller shaft at the point where it passes into the impeller housing, and therefore means have been provided forefiectively excluding lubricant of the bearing 58 from passing into the impeller housing and comprises an inverted saucer shaped oil slinger Hi3 tightly fitted on the shaft 65 between the upper bearing 83 and a shoulder ltd, formed on the shaft, the peripheral edge of the oil slinger being curved downwardly and housed within an annular groove lid formed in. the upper end of the housing. The floor of the groove Mil progressively slopes downwardly so that oil pass= ing thereinto from the inner surface of the oil slinger is drained around the shaft and then downwardly through the breather opening Hi,

as shown more clearly in Fig. 4.

For convenience of manufacturing, the upper end of the housing is closed by a plate H2 which is secured to the housing by screws M3; said plate forming one Wall of the impeller housing 'and being provided at its center with an opening through which the upper end of the impeller shaft extends. The upwardly extending end lid of the impeller shaft is frusto-conical in shape and provided at diametrically opposite sides with key ways M5 for receiving keys M5, said keys extending into rather loosely fitting slots ill formed in the hub of an impeller lit. The impeller lid is in the form of a disc having a lower plane side, and an upper side provided with'radially disposed, axially extending fins or blades HQ which are of decreasing height from the hub of the impeller outwardly.

The tapered end lid of the shaft and the complementary hole formed in the impeller hub are disposed at a relatively steep angle so that tightening of the nut ltd, by which the impeller is secured to the impeller shaft, will not exert an undue bursting strain on the impeller. However, the angle and fit of the impeller on the tapered shaft is such that when the nut i2!) is securely tightened, the impeller is driven substantially entirely from. its frictional fit on the shaft rather than through the keys H6, which keys are provided more as a safety precaution than as a regular driving means for the impeller.

when the supercharger is first assembled on the motor, a quantity of lubricant is introduced into the casing at 2t through an inspection plate M3 which is secured tothe housing 26 by cap screws ltd so that the thrust bearing at the lower end of the impeller shaft and some of the teeth on drive gear so are submerged in oil, thus insuring lubrication of the driving gear teeth immediately upon starting oi the motor. As the motor turns over and oil is driven through the motor lubricating system, lubricant under pressure will be supplied to the supercharger through the supply pipe $32 and thence into both bearings of the of the impeller shaft. In addition thereto, as soon as the motor starts, a stream of oil will be projected out of the pipe 9d directly into the face of a generator 85? which is securedito the housing 2% by cap screws are.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit and substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a supercharger, a driving gear housing, a cover plate detachably secured to said housing, a drive shaft journalled in said housing and cover plate, a driving gear on said shaft, and a worm. for meshing with said gear, the drive shaft bearing in said gear housing being removable and of sufficient wall thickness whereby said driving gear driving gear shaft as well as the three bearings may be placed into and out of mesh with its worm by tilting or moving the drive shaft toward and away from said worm respectively when said bearing is removed and said cover plate is not secured to the housing.

2. In a supercharger construction, a housing having a removably mounted cover plate secured thereto and closing one wall thereof, a bearing bushing in said cover plate, a removabiy mounted bearing bushing in said housing axially aligned having a cover plate removabiv secured thereto and serving to close one wall thereof, a. relatively thick wall bushing removably mounted in said housing, a bushing having a radially extending I shoulder mounted in said cover plate and coaxially disposed with respect to the bushing in said housing, a drive shaft journalled for rotation in said bushings, said drive shaft having a shoulder thereon adapted to engage the shoulder of the bushing in said cover plate whereby to form a thrust bearing serving to position said drive shaft axially within said housing when said cover plate is secured thereto, an area contact worm wheel secured on said shaft and a globoidal worm Journalled for rotation in said housing and adapted to mesh with said worm wheel.

4. In a supercharger, a driving gear housing, a, cover plate detachably secured to said housing and serving to close one wall thereof, a relatively thick wall removable bushing mounted in the wall of said housing, a. bearing bushing mounted in said cover plate and axially aligned with the bushing in said housing, a drive shaft journalled in said bushings, a thrust bearing on said drive l shaft serving to retain the same in predetermined axial position with respect to said cover plate, an

area contact worm wheel secured on said drive 

